now is this IDGAF about whether the season gets saved or not, or I(won't)GAF about hockey when it comes back? i think more people are trending towards the former, but still very very few towards the latter.

The former....it will get to the point where such a shortened season will seem a.) anticlimactic, b.) maybe not worth the effort and c.) maybe just plain silly.

I'm in the same boat, c. Anti-climactic. I'll still watch and root for the Pens, but bleh. Unless we win the cup. Then it'll get somewhat exciting, but you know Flyer fans would say it wasn't a "real" season. Even myself, I'd have to look at that asterisk next to it.... ughhhh, more bleh.

Are they meeting today? Last report I heard (on the fan) said nothing going on today. So they meet for 2 hours yesterday, eat pizza and go home.......nice!

They'll meet tomorrow at 10. The NHL has asked the PA for a new proposal and the preparations take a little time. So they're not just twiddling their thumbs.

I expect this to be a joke of a proposal, i just hope they "run the numbers" like they failed to do in their last proposal. maybe, just maybe... who am i kidding, its over. If there was a fat lady around she would be singing.

Hockey is one of my great escapes at the home, the best excuse to invite the guys over for a beer. My boss even jokes i am more productive at work now there is no hockey, i am not sitting at work reading the paper online or posing on this board all day.

I hope these players come armed with a well read proposal, i need something to brighten my weekend.

mikey287 wrote:Negotiation is not listed in the terrorists' handbook. Checking the index yielded no results: napalm...needles...nemesis not there...

Reports over the last few days stated that the NHLPA asked to negotiate the contractual issues and the NHL declined saying they won't talk until they reach an agreement on finances.

Honestly, I think there's probably enough pressure on Fehr from the players that the next proposal will be very close to what the NHL wants but with the players retaining most of the contracting rights... and that the NHL will turn it down.

No matter how you dissect it, there seems to be no road that doesn't end in another stoppage in 5-7 years. Either the owners give in on the contracting issues and another lockout occurs, or the owners get everything they want and the players strike.

Sarcastic wrote:I'm in the same boat, c. Anti-climactic. I'll still watch and root for the Pens, but bleh. Unless we win the cup. Then it'll get somewhat exciting, but you know Flyer fans would say it wasn't a "real" season. Even myself, I'd have to look at that asterisk next to it.... ughhhh, more bleh.

You say that now, but if that happened and the Pens win the SC in the shortened season, you would be swelling with pride the next year when there raising that 4th SC banner to the rafters. You wouldn't be giving a damn what our rivals would think of about a asterisk.

Honestly, we would win the SC in a full 82 game season and everyone would cry foul about something. Look what happened when we won the SC in 09. We won fair and square and everyone made a big deal because of Crosby and the handshake. No matter what, opposing fans would find something to nitpick about us.

Nope, winning the Cup in a short season does nothing to me to make winning the cup feel cheap and undeserving.

I'd probably be a little disappointed if a team that had no business being in the playoffs at all won the Cup (I'm talking a team like Edmonton or a perennial basement dweller like Columbus), but if it were against a team who's normally in contention, who cares how long the regular season was? The only thing it stands for is seeding, which the LA Kings showed mean absolutely nothing.

Sarcastic wrote:I'm in the same boat, c. Anti-climactic. I'll still watch and root for the Pens, but bleh. Unless we win the cup. Then it'll get somewhat exciting, but you know Flyer fans would say it wasn't a "real" season. Even myself, I'd have to look at that asterisk next to it.... ughhhh, more bleh.

You say that now, but if that happened and the Pens win the SC in the shortened season, you would be swelling with pride the next year when there raising that 4th SC banner to the rafters. You wouldn't be giving a damn what our rivals would think of about a asterisk.

Honestly, we would win the SC in a full 82 game season and everyone would cry foul about something. Look what happened when we won the SC in 09. We won fair and square and everyone made a big deal because of Crosby and the handshake. No matter what, opposing fans would find something to nitpick about us.

Nope, winning the Cup in a short season does nothing to me to make winning the cup feel cheap and undeserving.

Wings fans (and that 's' on 'fans' is not hyperbole) still talk about how games 1 and 2 were scheduled at such a disadvantage to the Wings...ignoring the fact that they won them both...which as I'm told, "is not the point" - they have to be among the worst fans in sports...not in the stupid, obnoxious Philadelphia Flyer way but in the entitled, "we're letting you play in our league" type of way. Just generally bad people in my experience...

no name wrote:Hockey is one of my great escapes at the home, the best excuse to invite the guys over for a beer. My boss even jokes i am more productive at work now there is no hockey, i am not sitting at work reading the paper online or posing on this board all day.

Sarcastic wrote:I'm in the same boat, c. Anti-climactic. I'll still watch and root for the Pens, but bleh. Unless we win the cup. Then it'll get somewhat exciting, but you know Flyer fans would say it wasn't a "real" season. Even myself, I'd have to look at that asterisk next to it.... ughhhh, more bleh.

You say that now, but if that happened and the Pens win the SC in the shortened season, you would be swelling with pride the next year when there raising that 4th SC banner to the rafters. You wouldn't be giving a damn what our rivals would think of about a asterisk.

I guess. Maybe. I mean, I wouldn't win the cup. I just watch. But I'll tell you what. I still don't feel fully satisfied with the Devils' win back when they won it on a shortened season. Not that I'm a Devils fan. But it somehow doesn't feel complete. They deserved it and I wouldn't say it was easier because, as you guys point out, playoffs are still played in full. Maybe it's just something in me that isn't in you. That's fine. My dissatisfaction would be more overall of the season as a whole anyway. It'd be a nice win, but with a damper over it.

I said said before, too, I kinda don't like hockey players much right now. A bit hard for me to cheer and get too excited for them.

Devil's advocate: I wonder if playing a shortened season could make a Cup win more impressive. Yes, the season arguably won't be much of a physical grind. But if there's less time for losing streaks and lulls, then you pretty much have to come out of the gate with the mindset of playing playoff hockey, a level that could be difficult to quickly ramp up to and maintain. I'm not at all saying I agree with this; it's just a thought.

Sarcastic wrote:I'm in the same boat, c. Anti-climactic. I'll still watch and root for the Pens, but bleh. Unless we win the cup. Then it'll get somewhat exciting, but you know Flyer fans would say it wasn't a "real" season. Even myself, I'd have to look at that asterisk next to it.... ughhhh, more bleh.

You say that now, but if that happened and the Pens win the SC in the shortened season, you would be swelling with pride the next year when there raising that 4th SC banner to the rafters. You wouldn't be giving a damn what our rivals would think of about a asterisk.

Honestly, we would win the SC in a full 82 game season and everyone would cry foul about something. Look what happened when we won the SC in 09. We won fair and square and everyone made a big deal because of Crosby and the handshake. No matter what, opposing fans would find something to nitpick about us.

Nope, winning the Cup in a short season does nothing to me to make winning the cup feel cheap and undeserving.

Wings fans (and that 's' on 'fans' is not hyperbole) still talk about how games 1 and 2 were scheduled at such a disadvantage to the Wings...ignoring the fact that they won them both...which as I'm told, "is not the point" - they have to be among the worst fans in sports...not in the stupid, obnoxious Philadelphia Flyer way but in the entitled, "we're letting you play in our league" type of way. Just generally bad people in my experience...

Four games in the 2009 Finals series were played with the "magic boards," which was an advantage--albeit a relatively small one--to them. So, yes, mikey, I say "whatever" to DRW fans, also.

I don't care if we win the Cup in an 82 game season or a 1 game season, it is still an accomplishment to get through the playoffs and win 16 games.

Yes, there may be a team or two that make the playoffs that may not have in the 82 game season, but over a span of say 60 games vs 82, there wouldn't be too many major differences. Good teams are good teams and will make the playoffs. Like I said, maybe 1 or 2 would go in, but I don't see much of a difference.

The grind of the 2 month playoff will be no different. It is a hard thing to win and I don't care what others would say (because some morons would say stuff, and I"m sure some of our morons would say things if another team won), it is a great accomplishment.